Method and apparatus for the doffing of yarn packages



Aug. 1, 1967 H. DE BRUIN ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE DOFFING OFYARN PACKAGES Filed April 26, 1965 INVENTORS 6 Z km fw km 16 2 Z m myUnited States Patent 3,333,407 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE DOFFIN 0FYARN PACKAGES Hendrik de Bruin, Arnhem, and Willem Lommers, Breda,Netherlands, assignors to Algemene Kunslzijde Unie, N.V., Arnhem,Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser.No. 450,723 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Apr. 30, 1964,6,404,821 Claims. (Cl. 5752) This invention relates to dofling and moreparticularly to the dofiing of collection packages served by acontinuously running yarn.

There are many situations in the textile industries where a yarn is fedfrom a source through a predetermined path to a point of collection.Threading in the yarns for such operation is time-consuming and requiresthe skill of an experienced operator. As a consequence, a problem ispresented when the pot or bobbin receiving the yarn at the point ofcollection is filled and needs to be replaced by an empty one. Thisoperation, which is called dotting, requires that the yarn running tothe full package be severed and that the running end be connected to anew point of collection. In the past it has been necessary to guide theyarn manually to a point of temporary collection or to waste. In anyevent, the doll has involved a manual displacement of the yarn from itspredetermined path to the temporary path occupied during the dofiing andhas usually required that some or all of the predetermined yarn path bebypassed.

In the pot spinning of rayon yarns this problem is particularly acute,for there the pot must 'be dotted and the yarn introduced again into thefunnel as the new pot is spun in. Ordinarily in rayon spinning this hasbeen done by leading the yarn directly from the spin bath to waste sothat at each dofi it is necessary manually to re-thread the wholesystem, involving the usual godets and guides as well as the funnel.

It is a purpose of the present invention to overcome the foregoingdifiicnlties and to provide a method and apparatus for doliing in whichthe entire therading in of the continuous system remains undisturbedduring the doff.

It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for entraining a yarn running through a predetermined pathto a point of collection, bodily displacing the running yarn in a purelylocal region near the point of collection, replacing the filled yarnreceptacle with an empty one, restoring the running yarn to itspredetermined path and spinning in the empty yarn receiving receptacleautomatically.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentupon consideration of the following detailed description of anembodiment thereof illustrated in conjunction with a rayon pot spinningsystem. In the figures of drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a conventional pot spinning systemshowing the apparatus of the present invention in its repose or inactiveposition;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the apparatus of the present invention to anenlarged scale showing the same in its active or operating position; and

FIGURE 3 is a view in section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 1 reference numeral 1 is applied to a spinneret through whicha bundle of viscose filaments are extruded into an acid spin bath 3. Thedelivery pipe for the unregenerated cellulose xanthate is indicated byreference numeral 2. The yarn extruded from spinneret 1 is withdrawnfrom the spin bath 3 and led over a ICC godet system composed of rollers6 and 7 and from of tangency to roller 6 into the mouth of a funnel 9centrally located in the top of a spinning pot 8. The spinning pot 8 isrotated by conventional means and the yarn 4 leaving the funnel 9 islaid up centrifugally in succeeding courses inside the pot. Although itis not shown, it is contemplat d that the funnel 9 will be provided withthe usual traverse mechanism to reciprocate the same vertically to layup courses of yarn within the pot.

In a region adjacent the yarn path between the godet 6, 7 and the mouthof the funnel 9 there is located entraining apparatus according to thepresent invention. It is contemplated that this entraining apparatus maybe moved manually between a repose position, FIGURE 1 and a positionintercepting the normal vertical yarn path between godet wheel 6 and themouth of the funnel 9.

The entraining apparatus is illustrated in detail in FIGURES 2 and 3. Itcomprises a tube 10 having a straight portion 10A defining therein aradial slit 11 extending for the full length of the portion 10A. Thestraight portion 10A of the tube 10 connects and is integral with aportion 10B which has no slit. Portion 10B runs generally horizontallyand at. right angles to vertical portion 10A. The connecting bendbetween them bears reference numeral 100.

Two thread guides 14 and 15 are positioned at the opposite ends of theslit 11 in the tube 110. These thread guides are so shaped that theyfacilitate the threading in of the yarn 4 into the longitudinal slit 11,and moreover, insure that the yarn does not readily escape from theslit. 7

Around the portion 10B of the tube 10 there is provided a handle 16 inwhich there is located a handoperated stop-cock 17. The construction ofthe stopcock 17 is not illustrated because it is well known to thoseskilled in the art. It sufiices to say that the stopcock controls theflow of water from a flexible hose 18 to the tube 10.

When the spinning pot 8 is filled with a yarn cake, the doffingprocedure is as follows:

The apparatus of FIGURE 2 is kept near the thread 4 in the zone betweenthe roller 6 and the funnel 9 as on a hanger as shown in FIGURE 1. Theoperator now grasps the handle 16 and lift-s the apparatus olf of thesupporting hooks. Then the apparatus is so manipulated that the thread 4is guided into the hook-shaped thread guide 14 and along the edge of thedisk-shaped thread guide 15 to be finally caught by the sector-shapedrecess forming part of guide 15. By now opening the stopcock 17 with apressure of the finger, a current of water is admitted to the tube 10,which exerts a tensile force on the thread 4 so that is is entrained inthe portion 10A. Practically simultaneously the apparatus is displacedin transverse direction, as a result of which the thread 4 is moved to aregion beyond the largest radius of the spinning pot 8. Subsequently,the thread 4 ejected from the tube 10 is severed from the yarn packagecollected in the spinning pot, after which the running yarn is ejectedinto a discharge trough (not shown). The entraining apparatus may beplaced in a holder (not shown), so that the machine operator has bothhis hands free to replace the fully charged spinning pot by an emptyone. During this replacing the thread 4 just continues running from thespinneret 1 over the rollers 6 and 7 and through the portion 10A of thetube 10 to waste.

When an empty pot has been put in spinning position, the operator againtakes the dotting apparatus in his hands, so positions it that theportion 10A of the tube is in alignment with the funnel 9, the shape ofthe thread guide ensuring proper centering in the mouth of the funnel 9,and thus washes the yarn 4 down into the empty pot. The pot will nowimmediately start collecting the yarn 4. The moment the yarn 4 is beingwound, the jet of water through the tube 10 is stopped.

The last stage of the dofling operation consists in that the yarn 4 isremoved from the thread guide 14, and in that the dotfing apparatus isso displaced in transverse direction that the yarn 4 can leave it by Wayof longitudinal slit 11.

The foregoing description illustrates the invention with reference to apot spinning apparatus. It Will be clear that the apparatus according tothe present invention can be used in a similar manner if the yarn iscollected. Instead of in a spinning pot, on a rotating bobbin. This isone of the possible variants to the method according to the invention,which allows of many other variants.

It can now be seen that according to the present invention the yarnwhile it is running in its normal path to the point of collection isentrained in a stream of liquid. After the entraining is complete theyarn is severed adjacent the point of collection and the entrained yarnis bodily displaced to an appropriate Waste region. While it is runningto Waste, the collecting package is changed. The supply of fresh yarn isnot interrupted and it is not necessary to re-thread any part of themachine except the traverse for the collecting device which, in theillustrated form of the invention, is a funnel. Even after the tube 10has been displaced from the position coaxially surrounding the normalpath of the yarn running to the pot, the liquid flowing therethroughcontinues to exert a tension on the running thread. As a result, thethread will continue its course through the yarn path ahead of the tubewithout any disturbance at all.

The present invention is of particular advantage in conjunction with aspinning pot because in spinning in a pot it is necessary to wash theyarn into the funnel and this happens absolutely automatically when thetube 10 is brought back into registry with the funnel over the top of anempty pot.

If during the dofling there has been a considerable collection of waste,it is possible according to the present invention to cut the yarnrunning from the bottom of the tube 10 adjacent the guide 15 just beforeswinging the tube into registry with the funnel. The thread guide 14functions to prevent the yarn from escaping from the longitudinal slit11 when the tube 10 is being moved.

A specific advantage of the present invention is that the longitudinalslit may be located in a radial plane which is perpendicular to theplane in which the tube 10 lies. It has been found that if thelongitudinal slit is so located, the liquid under pressure does notescape sideways through the slit 11.

In order to prevent the yarn, While being diverted to transversedirection, from escaping from the longitudinal slit, it is according tothe invention recommended to provide two thread guides near the ends ofthe tube provided with the longitudinal slit.

During the dofling of the yarn collecting members the yarn withdrawn bythe apparatus according to the invention may be guided into a closedvessel or be removed in any other way.

Manipulating the apparatus according to the invention may be faciliatedif according to the invention around the tube with the closed wall thereis provided a handle in which there is a hand-operated stop-cock for thecurrent of liquid.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of dofling a collecting package fed by a yarn continuouslyrunning to it along a predetermined path that comprises flowing a steamof liquid parallel to and intercepting a portion of said yarn path in aregion adjacent the collecting package thereby to entrain the runningyarn in the liquid stream, severing the running yarn between said regionof entrainment and the collecting package, bodily displacing said liquidstream and entrained yarn from said predetermined path, replacing thecollecting package with an empty receptacle, thereafter restoring theliquid stream with the entrained running yarn therein to saidpredetermined path, reestablishing a collecting relationship to the freeend of yarn, and discontinuing said stream.

2. Apparatus for entraining and bodily displacing a running yarn thatcomprises a tube having straight portion, a slit in a radius thereofextending for the full length of said straight portion, said tube havinganother portion extending at an angle from one end of said straightportion both portions of said tube being of uniform diameter, and meansincluding a flexible portion to supply water to said tube through saidother portion thereof.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said slit lies in a planenormal to the plane of said straight and said other portions of saidtube.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means includes a handleand a stop-cock to control the flow of water therethrough.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a thread guide is disposedadjacent each end of the straight portion of said tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,671,785 5/1928 Rushton 5734.52,661,588 12/1953 Griset 57-34.5 X 2,667,964- 2/1954 Miller 57-34.5 X2,681,729 6/1954 Griset 5734.5 X 2,706,089 4/ 1955 Griset 242-182,844,859 7/1958 Griset 57-34.5 X 3,051,364 8/1962 Barnes et al. 5734.53,091,018 5/1963 Rees 57-140 3,156,395 11/1964 Ashby et al. 57-34.5 X3,241,234 3/1966 Kiefer 5734.5 X

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

1. THE METHOD OF DOFFING A COLLECTING PACKAGE FED BY A YARN CONTINUOUSLYRUNNING TO IT ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH THAT COMPRISES FLOWING A STEAMOF LIQUID PARALLEL TO AND INTERCEPTING A PORTION OF SAID YARN PATH IN AREGION ADJACENT THE COLLECTING PACKAGE THEREBY TO ENTRAIN THE RUNNINGYARN IN THE LIQUID STREAM, SEVERING THE RUNNING YARN BETWEEN SAID REGIONOF ENTRAINMENT AND THE COLLECTING PACKAGE, BODILY DISPLACING SAID LIQUIDSTREAM AND ENTRAINED YARN FROM SAID PREDETERMINED PATH, REPLACING THECOLLECTING PACKAGE WITH AN EMPTY RECEPTACLE, THEREAFTER RESTORING THELIQUID STREAM WITH THE ENTRAINED RUNNING YARN THEREIN TO SAIDPREDETERMINED PATH, REESTABLISHING A COLLECTING RELATIONSHIP TO THE FREEEND OF YARN, AND DISCONTINUING SAID STREAM.